|
|
|
Wednesday, November 8, 2000
Bein' captain ain't what it used to be
By Al Morganti
Special to ESPN.com
|
Heading into the 2000-01 season, you can throw out any cliché about the new millenium. But the bottom line is that there are a lot of major issues confronting the game of hockey, some of which weren't even factors in the game a decade ago.
Captain, my captain?
No sport regards the importance of a captain like hockey, especially in
the NHL.
| |  | | | Messier |
| |  | | | Blake |
The "C" can either weigh down a player, or spur him on to greater heights.
The New York Rangers have rediscovered the ultimate captain with the return of Mark
Messier, but elsewhere around the NHL, the captain shuffle is causing some worries.
In Los Angeles, coach Andy Murray talked Rob Blake out of resigning his
captaincy. Blake was worried that his contract problems would negate his
ability to lead the team. However, Murray convinced Blake that he should not let the business
of the sport get in the way of actually playing the game.
The result is that Blake will wear the "C'," but it won't prevent trade
rumors.
In Colorado, Joe Sakic has worn the "C" since 1992 -- the only
captain since the team arrived in Colorado won't let him walk away for nothing at the end of
the season.
Thus, another captain in the trade rumor mill.
In Buffalo, the Sabres captain and driving wheel is Mike Peca. He
won't even start the season because of a contract dispute. And, love him or not, the
Sabres management will consider trades for him if the impasse goes very long. The
irony is that Buffalo has always refused to even consider trading Peca for players of a
much higher profile and salary, such as Keith Primeau because of the intangibles he
brings to the team.
Now, we'll see the actual worth of those intangibles.
In Ottawa, one-time captain Alexei Yashin is back without the "C".
There had better be a lot of points for Yashin, or he'll get a quick ticket elsewhere.
In Philadelphia, Eric Lindros is so out of the picture that there is
not a single picture of him in the club's new practice facility, which has numerous photos
of players through their history. And we all know that if he comes back, it'll be for another team.
And, speaking of the Leafs, if there is any bumpy road in Toronto,
does anybody think captain Mats Sundin is safe?
The European plan
Hockey has been multi-national for a long while, but this season will
bring a spotlight behind the bench. The Chicago Blackhawks will be coached by Alpo
Suhonen, a Finn, while former Czech national coach Ivan Hlinka takes over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
By the way, if those Penguins struggle, there will be more than a few
whispers that there are simply too many Europeans on the team, and that doesn't include the
coach.
That's not to say the globalization of the game is a bad thing; it's just another variable to be deal with.
Blows to the head
This will be the result of the carry-over affect from last spring's
playoffs. The first player who is felled by a hard check above the shoulders, will result in a
triple play of that hit, the hit Stevens put on Lindros, and then the Hatcher hit on Sykora.
And then, it'll be a hot-button issue all over again.
As the season proceeds, expect a renewed cry for the league to come up
with a new policy about hits above the head.
Slashing
Every season has its rules issue, and this season the issue is slashing.
There is now supposed to be a zero tolerance concerning slashing, and with Andy
van Hellemond now in charge of the officiating, you can bet he will want to make the enforcement of this rule
his calling card to respect.
Although this initiative is unique because van Hellemond is a new leader, it seems like every season there's a new drive for zero tolerance on something. Then, the playoffs hit, and it's back to where it was before. Accountability and consistency is so tough when the playoffs are so different from the regular season.
Al Morganti covers the NHL for ESPN.
|
|
|
|
